


One Waking Moment

by AHeartForStories



Series: AHeartForStories' Febuwhump 2021 [11]
Category: How to Train Your Dragon (Movies)
Genre: Emotional Hurt/Comfort, FebuWhump2021, Febuwhump, Gen, Grief/Mourning, Hallucinations, Hurt/Comfort, Loss, Loss of Parent(s)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-15
Updated: 2021-02-15
Packaged: 2021-03-17 16:00:24
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 803
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29474361
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AHeartForStories/pseuds/AHeartForStories
Summary: Written for Febuwhump Day 11. Set after Httyd 2. When sleep has avoided him long enough, a minor hallucination sends him to tears.
Relationships: Hiccup Horrendous Haddock III & Stoick the Vast, Hiccup Horrendous Haddock III & Toothless
Series: AHeartForStories' Febuwhump 2021 [11]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2137413
Comments: 8
Kudos: 22
Collections: febuwhump 2021





	One Waking Moment

**Author's Note:**

> Written for the Febuwhump prompt: "Hallucinations"
> 
> Sadly, this was the very first prompt that I ever finished for Febuwhump and I couldn't post it on time due to being so late with previous prompts.  
> And work has something to do with it, too.
> 
> Constructive criticism is appreciated.  
> Enjoy!

When a headache brews inside his skull right behind his eyes and he's seeing double, that's when Hiccup figures that maybe he might be pushing himself a little too hard again. He's so tired, when was the last time he had a proper night's sleep? Or slept at all, for that matter?

Being chief has been kicking his ass and to be chief of a partially destroyed village with the threat of famine hanging over their heads after their food storages were destroyed in Drago's attack certainly doesn't make things easier. What doesn't help either is that Drago's forces are still out there and they are threatening to hit their struggling village with a war for their dragons.

So all in all, Hiccup is a little bit stressed out and it's the biggest reason why he's having such trouble sleeping.

Sighing, Hiccup finally takes his eyes off the blueprints for an improved fire-fighting system and rubs in them. Behind his eyelids, they burn and he groans, eyes watering.

In the wee hours of the night, he's still at Gobber's forge. Gobber, himself, has gone to bed already and only Toothless is still present. The Night Fury is lying behind him, definitely asleep and therefore a lot smarter than his Rider.

Hiccup glances down at him before rubbing in his eyes again and then stretches his arms and back. He should probably follow his example and go home for some rest as well. He needs to get up early in the morning.

But it would seem like he isn't the only one still up at this hour. Hearing some hushed talking just outside of the forge, Hiccup looks over to see who else hasn't gone to bed just yet. His head briefly spins with the turn.

Is it his sleep deprivation? Or are his eyes really not lying to him? The Viking who passes by the door is big and his beard is a flaming red. Hiccup catches only a glimpse of him and his stressed-out, sleep-deprived mind comes to only one conclusion.

"Wait, dad?!" He mutters, jumping up from his chair and stumbling over Toothless' tail in his hurry to reach the door, startling the dragon awake.

He makes it, hanging onto the doorframe to keep from falling as he leans out to see. He does find someone fitting his father's description walking alongside someone else, but that person is not him. Neither of them are. He isn't quite as big as Stoick the Vast is... was... either.

Sighing deeply in sorrow, Hiccup leans against the frame and slides down to the floor, hands ending up in his lap. Tears of grief grow in his eyes and his heart aches. He's too tired to stop the tears and they slip silently down his cheeks.

Yup, he should really get some sleep. Maybe then he won't imagine seeing his dead father walk around on Berk.

Toothless, now awake and having watched Hiccup, pads over and nuzzles the human's face with his. Hiccup returns the gesture, really leaning into it.

"I'm fine, Bud, I'm just a little sad. And tired." Hiccup tells him when he croons quizzically. He's honestly falling asleep just sitting here.

But despite this, he doesn't quite get up yet. He stays seated on the floor, his head resting against Toothless' while the dragon purrs comfortingly and his eyes are closed. He doesn't do so with loud sobs or sniffs, but he cries and he takes comfort in Toothless' being there.

The drowsiness is closing in on him and so he decides to get to his feet, the feeling fading just a tad. Toothless lets him, watching him to make sure he doesn't just tumble back to the ground as 'tired' and 'prosthetic leg' don't often go well together, he's noticed.

After taking a moment to ensure the candle has been extinguished, they walk outside to meet the crisp air and Hiccup takes a deep breath in the hopes of losing a little bit more of that sleepiness in order to make it to bed.

Toothless bumps his rear with the flat of his head, urging him to get in the saddle, and Hiccup follows his advice, climbing on with relative ease. They have no intention of flying, so he doesn't need to worry about the stirrups.

The dragon turns his nose to home, but Hiccup looks back in the direction he's seen the ginger bearded man walk off in with a frown. He's no longer in sight and neither is the other man he was walking with.

He sighs and strokes Toothless' head, momentarily closing his eyes as he can still picture his father so clearly, though it hasn't been all that long since his passing.

"Let's go home, Bud."

The dragon agrees with this and begins a calm walk home.


End file.
